Boston Scholars Program June 23 2007 Orientation Picnic

Dear Scholars, Parents, Mentors, Board Members and family members,

We look forward to seeing all of you at our Fourth BBQ Orientation, which will be held on

Saturday, June 23, 2007

12:00 - 2:30 pm

The Epiphany School
Located right next door of Shawmut Station on the Red Line

Epiphany School
154 Centre Street
Dorchester, MA

This is a required event for all Scholars and will allow you to hear about new initiatives at Boston Scholars for 2007 and 2008. Don't miss out on an opportunity to start the summer with all the pivotal information for a very successful year.

Come reconnect, eat great food, enjoy great company and make plans for a summer and academic year filled with new goals and successes. Attending a required event has never been so much fun! As Executive Director, I am very eager to meet as many Scholars, their families, and Mentors as possible. Should be a great time as we plan to work jointly to make the most of the coming year.

Laurine has put in a great deal of effort into the day and it should be memorable for all.

Best ,

Frankie Cruz

Executive Director

Frankie@BostonScholars.org

Thank You Snow Ball

Here are some photos from the recent check presentation to Boston Scholars from the Snow Ball, which is run by Santa Claus Anonymous in Boston.

Thank you so much for your support!

Boston Scholars Program Featured in DivineCaroline

In an article titled "Chasing an Education: Boston Scholars Program Helps Kids Win the Race" the DivineCaroline website has profiled Boston Scholars and interviewed board member Ann Mittelstadt.

Click here to read the full article about the importance of our program and mentoring students to have an impact. And if you are interested in mentoring students in Boston, be sure to contact us!

Vote for Boston Scholars Program

An organization is giving away over $200,000 to nonprofits, and you can make a difference and help Boston Scholars Program get our share. Our volunteer mentors, students and families need your support. Vote now and get your friends and family to vote too!

Voting is open until March 31 and you can vote once per day, so put a reminder in your calendar to vote for us every day!

Here is the link to use to find Boston Scholars Program on the ReZoom website and vote for us:
http://www.rezoom.com/ABETTERWORLD/view-charity.php?char_id=1744

Shout Out to Daniel!

As a Boston Scholar, Daniel is our student representative for the incredible Mike Sullivan Memorial Scholarship and the team working on the golf tournament to raise money to support this fund.

Here's a short "shout out" on what Daniel is doing this Fall:

As a freshman at the tuition-based Boston College High School, Daniel continues to serve as a great representative of the Boston Scholars Program. Proving himself to be a dedicated student, Daniel's high grade point average earned him High Honors this past semester at BC High. Outside the classroom, Daniel has joined the Cross Country team and enjoys representing his school in 2 mile races. Daniel finds that sports allow him to learn a great deal from a supportive coach and new friends. In terms of community service, Daniel makes time to serve on his school's Black and Latino Student Union. What Daniel enjoys most from The Student Union is that it allows him to teach others in the larger school community about his culture and background. Thinking ahead about his goals for college in 2010, Daniel hopes to be admitted to a challenging college where he can pursue his interest in science and biology.

Volunteer Mentors Needed

The success of the Boston Scholars Program hinges on our volunteer mentors, who spend a few hours a month meeting with their students to mentor them and help make sure they are on a path to success. All we ask of our mentors is to make a one year committment to mentor their student. Many of our relationships last longer than this, because of the great friendships that develop between mentors and students. For times when getting together in person is a challenge, some mentors just speak with their students over the phone.

If you want to learn more about volunteer mentoring with the Boston Scholars Program, you can check out our mentoring page or check our this other website about mentoring in Boston.

We need volunteer mentors today for our new class of students. Contact us now to volunteer as a mentor.

Please Welcome Frank Cruz , Executive Director

Frank joins the Boston Scholars Program team having just graduated from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education where he received his Master of Education and before that the John F. Kennedy School of Government where he received his Master in Public Administration. Frank decided to get his two Masters degrees after a strong career spent as a senior administrator who helped build Prep for Prep, a nonprofit similar to Boston Scholars that identifies and prepares minority youth for success in independent high school and college.

Frank embodies so many of the elements that Boston Scholars strives to build in each of its Scholars. Born and raised in the South Bronx section of New York City, Frank’s willingness to challenge himself academically led him to accept a scholarship to attend independent school in Manhattan and later boarding school. During his four years at the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut, Frank excelled in class, sports and community service. His drive and preparation led him to become a first generation college graduate. After completing his undergraduate degree at Princeton University, Frank continued his involvement in leadership development work with low-income youth by founding major divisions and components of Prep for Prep in New York City.

Over for the greater part of 15 years, Frank served in a variety of positions including Deputy Executive Director for Leadership Development and Deputy Executive Director for Alumni Affairs. At one point, Frank headed up one-third of the 50-team organization, supervising staff and counseling for Prep grades 10-12, undergraduates and all work with college graduates. Always remembering the community of his childhood, Frank took a two-year hiatus from the nonprofit world to do political work in the Bronx. During that time, Frank ran for the New York State Assembly as a Candidate for the 79th Assembly District, Bronx, New York. Frank is happy to lead the Boston Scholars Program to greater success each year.